Refugee Day

With Support of Community, Al Obaidi is Painting a Bright Future

Saturday, June 20, 2020 - 11:58 By United World Wrestling Press

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INZING, Austria (June 20) -- Aker Al Obaidi had been working as a painter for two years before Benedikt "Mo" Ernst finally convinced the young Iraqi refugee to move to the small town of Inzing, Austria.

The small town, population 4000, intimidated the former Baghdad resident. He'd always known bigger cities, and found comfort in wrestling. 

To help, Coach "Mo" furnished an apartment for Al Obaidi and set up the young Greco-Roman grappler with a series of training opportunities. After a few weeks of acclimating to the new city, Al Obaidi invited Mo over for dinner and showed him the job he'd done painting the apartment.

It was not what Coach was expecting. Greeting him in the living room was the large five-ring logo of the Olympic Games.

"I painted the Rings on this wall because I want to see them every day," said Al Obaidi. "This is my motivation to work as hard as I can and reach my goal!“

Shortly after painting the Rings on his wall AL Obaidi and Coach Mo received word from the IOC that they had chosen Al Obaidi for the IOC Refugee Athletic Scholarship and would be supporting his Olympic journey.

Members of the Austrian national team who live in Inzing have helped provide Al Obaidi the training he needs to prepare for the Olympic Games, as he also attends every camp and tournament of the Austrian wrestling federation.

Al Obaidi's training during COVID has been difficult since he's not allowed to train in the training hall. Instead his coach has organized a special program for him to maintain his shape.

"He is one of the motivated guys I have," said Mo. "He has developed his strength and endurance very well during this hard time."

Like most of the wrestling world Al Obaidi isn't quite sure what will happen with COVID-19, but for now he plans to start wrestling training once cleared by the Austrian government - maybe as early as July.

The plans then include training camps and possibly trips to the U23 Europeans in Bucharest at the beginning of October and the U23 World Championship in Finland. If he's very lucky with travel arrangements, maybe some international training camps in Hungary, Germany and Ukraine between tournaments.

"He works hard and I know if Aker qualifies for the Olympics in Tokyo 2021," said Mo. "His dream will come true."

marketing

United World Wrestling Announces Arimex as Global Supplier

Wednesday, March 13, 2024 - 13:08 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (March 19) --- United World Wrestling and Arimex have signed a global supplier agreement in the category of nuts and dried fruits.

"I am very pleased to start a new partnership with the ambitious brand that shares similar values and commitment to supporting athletes and the world of sports," said United World Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic. "We are looking forward to a great collaboration with Arimex and aspire for this partnership to turn into a long-term friendship."

Arnas Jurskis, Owner and CEO of Arimex, added "We are thrilled to have been presented with the opportunity to become an official global supplier of UWW. This serves as further validation of our unwavering commitment to clear values and ongoing efforts to enhance and support triumphs in the world of sports while promoting a healthy and active lifestyle. The choice of Arimex nuts and dried fruits by athletes at both the European and World levels is the ultimate validation of our product quality. It is truly gratifying to know that our presence will now extend beyond Lithuania to the international sports stage. I am confident that this partnership will evolve into a sustainable, robust, and enduring relationship founded on shared values of excellence, continual growth, and the pursuit of ultimate success at every turn."

Arimex will supply nuts and dried fruits for European and World Qualifying events, with the pinnacle of the 2024 season being its presence at the Wrestling House during Paris2024 Olympic Games. Guests of Wrestling House and wrestlers will have the pleasure of enjoying Arimex premium selection of nuts and dried fruits.

About Arimex
Lithuanian company Arimex boasts nearly three decades of experience in the nuts and dried fruits market. As a frontrunner in the Baltic and Nordic regions, Arimex continues its expansion into Western Europe. The company is renowned for its top-tier quality and holds the prestigious BRCGSAA+ international food safety standard. With a mission to foster healthy and active lifestyles, Arimex dedicates itself to promoting nutritious snacking habits. Annually, it spearheads around 100 initiatives aimed at cultivating wellness and extends support to athletes, thus contributing to the well-being of society.

Arimex can be found online by visiting www.arimex.lt